A few years ago, Morgan Park’s Chris Durr was given a cool nickname by coach Chris James.
At that time, James dubbed the 5-foot-9, 140-pound Durr as the “Slim Reaper.”
Fast forward to 2023, and even though the senior wide receiver has upped his ante considerably to 5-11 and 175 pounds, Durr still goes by that tagline on social media.
“I was slim but I’m a little cut up now,” Durr said. “He gave me that name, and it stuck.”
“I gave him that nickname,” James said of Durr, “because I wanted him to have the mentality that even though he was small, he was out for blood.”
Durr lived up to his billing Saturday for the Mustangs by scoring two big touchdowns during a 28-26 Public League Red victory over Kenwood at Gately Stadium in Chicago.
A Wyoming recruit, Durr finished with 10 catches for 139 yards. It included a highlight-reel effort on a short pass that he turned into a 62-yard TD for Morgan Park (6-1, 5-0).
Michigan commit I’Marion Stewart scored three TDs with an 82-yard kick return, a 75-yard punt return and a 68-yard catch as Kenwood (4-3, 4-1) cut the deficit to 28-26 with 3:34 left in the game.
The Mustangs ran out the clock thanks in part to a fourth-and-7 conversion between Marcus Thaxton and Durr at midfield on a play that had trouble written all over it. The ball hit the turf after the snap, but Thaxton recovered it and located Durr, who was camped out near the sideline.
“I just wanted to close the game out,” Durr said. “Big-time players make big-time plays, so I just had to be a big-time player at that moment. I showed up for my team and got the first down.”
“That felt amazing,” Thaxton said. “I know I can trust him and the connection is there. We’ve connected the past three years. I love him. We always have that connection.”
Even though the start of the play was scary, James knew how it was going to work out.
“The play was always going to No. 13,” James said of Durr. “He came through for us again.”
So, how did the “Slim Reaper” transform his body? The height came from natural progression. The rest was assisted by his parents, Chris Sr. and Kendra McGruder.
“I worked every day,” Durr said. “My mom had me on a nutrition plan and my dad was working me out. I just thank them for everything. And God, too.”
That nutrition plan included plenty of peanut butter and jelly, chicken breasts, fettuccine Alfredo and “stuff that gives me energy to keep my body going,” according to Durr.
He’s also looking forward to his future at Wyoming. He said the Cowboys showed interest in him for a while, and he related to how they treated him like a member of the family.
He said making that decision is one less thing off a busy list that includes trying to get Morgan Park deep into the playoffs. The Mustangs have clinched a fourth straight berth.
The Mustangs are sitting atop the Public League’s top division, with Brooks (3-4, 3-2) and Simeon (4-1, 4-3) remaining on the schedule.
James, meanwhile, believes Durr is going to do well at the next level as he has succeeded against Division I caliber players his entire high school career.
“He’s going to be a terror in college,” James said. “Wyoming loves him — has been recruiting him for a long time. He’s going to go out there and be a difference-maker for them.”
Jeff Vorva is a freelance reporter for the Daily Southtown.